- Nutritional requirements of heifers. Well managed ryegrass pastures are a complete diet for heifers at all stages of life, including leafy kikuyu pastures.
- Everyday feed requirements for heifers. * This table is for feed eaten, feed offered needs to account for wastage. ...
- Heifers and crops or supplements. Supplementing pasture may be required to maintain heifer growth. If pasture is limited, it is cost effective to feed heifers crops and supplements.
- Compensatory growth. It is dangerous to rely on compensatory growth as it varies for each animal. ...
Should you keep or sell heifers?
With rapid genetic progress, heifers remain a source of improved genetic potential for milk production. When heifer rearing costs are high relative to the value of cull cows, though, it is often more economical to keep cows and sell heifers rather than sell cows to make room for heifers in the milking string. Other points to ponder
Are my heifers heavy enough for breeding?
advertisement. advertisement. Regardless of the dairy’s methods, heifers should be ready to breed at 12 to 14 months old. Large-breed heifers, like Holsteins, should weigh 350 to 400 kilograms (770 to 880 pounds) at breeding, while smaller breeds should be between 225 and 260 kilograms (495 to 570 pounds) at breeding.
Why are fresh heifers so difficult?
a heifer is found to have difficulty calving the birth appears to be breech the heifer's condition has become weak. A vet may be required to correct a difficult calving and to prescribe and administer any veterinary drugs required to assist with calf and heifer survival during and after calving. Post difficult birth
What age is ideal to breed heifers?
You’ll know a heifer is ready to be bred when she’s started to show signs of heat. This usually occurs between 9 and 22 months of age, but even if she’s in heat earlier, you should only try to breed her after 15 months. This will ensure she's big enough and her hips are wide enough to survive the birth process.
What do heifer cows eat?
After weaning, cattle are fed hay, silage, grain and food processing by-products such as cottonseed meal, citrus pulp, tomato pulp, potato peels, sugar beet pulp, almond hulls, cereal by-products, soy hulls, or canola seed hulls. Most cattle feed is produced on non-irrigated land.
What do you feed a first heifer calf?
Supplement first-calf heifers with grains (energy) like corn, corn silage, or barley before they lose body condition. “Thin heifers don't breed back quickly, if at all,” says Bjurstrom. “If she rebreeds late, it will take several lactations to get her back on track with the rest of the herd.
How much should you feed a heifer?
This would mean that heifers should gain an average of 1.25 to 1.75 lb. per day from weaning to first breeding or 250 to 350 lbs....Table 4.Ration 19.5 lb. good quality legume hay (18% CP)Ration 433.0 lb. corn silage (8% CP)1.0 lb. 40% protein supplementRation 518.5 lb. haylage (15.8% CP)7 more rows•Feb 12, 2021
How much grain should I feed my bred heifer?
Total intake of hay and distillers would be about 24 lb/hd/da as-fed. After calving using the same hay you would need feed 4.2 lb/hd/da (3.7 lb/hd/da dry matter and distillers 88% dry matter). Intake after calving would be 25 to 26 lb/hd/da as-fed. The lactating diet will be about 12% CP and 62% TDN.
What to feed weaning heifers?
Examples of post-weaning diets which beef producers are using:high quality legume based silage (lucerne silage with 60 per cent dry matter)lucerne hay, 30 per cent grain and some soy protein or canola meal.lucerne pasture.high protein and energy calf or heifer rearer pellets.
How long does it take to feed out a heifer?
These are called “finishing” cattle, and they are fed and taken care of until they reach around 1000-1200 pounds, which is usually around 18 months old. Once they reach their target weight, they are considered “finished.”
How much grain should I feed my heifer a day?
Regardless of feeding strategy, heifers should be fed energy to allow 1.75 to 2.00 pounds of average daily gain or approximately 130 kcal of metabolizable energy per pound of metabolic body weight (BW0.75).
How can I make my heifer gain weight?
5 Ways to Increase Cow WeightTips to Increase and Maintain Cattle Weight. Add Grain into Their Daily Diet. Prevent Illness and Parasites. Add a Weight Gain Supplement. Use Creep Feeders During Weaning. Prevent Cattle Shrink and Stress, Especially During Transport.Explore Farmco Creep Feeders. Meet Farmco Manufacturing.
How much protein does a heifer need?
During the growth phase of heifer development, that heifer requires 1.3 lb of crude protein per day, and 15.6 Mcal of energy per day (based on NRC requirements). If in our example heifers are weaned in the fall (spring calving herd), the forage available would typically be mature or processed winter forage.
Do cows need grain everyday?
The grain finished cattle need to be checked regularly and fed daily. They live in the pasture their entire lives and also receive natural grain during the last 6 months of their life. It's up to them on if they eat the grass or grain.
How much should I feed my first calf heifer?
A first-calf heifer at peak lactation is going to require at least 58 percent total digestible nutrients (TDN) and 9.3 percent crude protein (CP) in her diet just to maintain what she has. If she needs to gain some weight before breeding, she will probably need at least a 65 percent TDN and 12.1 percent CP diet.
Are whole oats good for cows?
Oats is an ideal grain for starting cattle on feed because of its high hull and fiber content. Many experienced cattlemen prefer to start weaned calves on oats as the only or major grain, gradually shifting over to higher-energy grains as the animals become adapted to grain consumption.
How much should I feed my first calf heifer?
A first-calf heifer at peak lactation is going to require at least 58 percent total digestible nutrients (TDN) and 9.3 percent crude protein (CP) in her diet just to maintain what she has. If she needs to gain some weight before breeding, she will probably need at least a 65 percent TDN and 12.1 percent CP diet.
At what age can a heifer be served?
The best age to serve a heifer is 13-15 months so that she calves down between 22-24 months.
What to feed cows before calving?
Hay should be tested for protein, and cows and heifers should be supplemented accordingly. By-product feeds or straw may be cost-effective in some situations. Some by-product feeds - corn distillers solubles, feather meal, for instance - are high in protein and by-pass protein.
What should you feed a cow with calf?
A high energy feed needs to be supplemented. Corn, distillers grains, gluten feed, 20% cube, or silage may be good choices. Make sure the protein requirement is met, especially when corn or silage is fed. In ranch situations, the supplement may be fed on the ground instead of in bunks.
How much does a heifer weigh at breeding?
And heifer weight at breeding? The Fort Keogh research is finding that heifers from the non-restricted group can enter the breeding season at 57% of mature weight, or around 700 pounds. The heifers from restricted dams enter breeding season at 54% of mature eight, or around 650 pounds.
Do cows manage less produce offspring?
As they followed the heifer calves into adulthood, becoming part of the cowherd, they found another take-home: “So the short of the story is cows managed with less produce offspring that are probably what you might call more drought resistant or function more favorably with less,” Roberts says.
How much feed do heifers need?
In precision feeding systems, heifers will need 14 to 24 inches of feed bunk space per heifer as they progress from 4 months of age to pre-calving or 22 months of age. Precision-fed heifers will not have access to feed at all times of day, thus all heifers in a pen must have access to the feed bunk.
How much energy should a heifer have?
Regardless of feeding strategy, heifers should be fed energy to allow 1.75 to 2.00 pounds of average daily gain or approximately 130 kcal of metabolizable energy per pound of metabolic body weight (BW 0.75 ).
What is RUP in heifer?
Research has shown that added rumen undegradable protein (RUP) is of limited value to the heifer beyond what is found in common feedstuffs. In situations where high RUP feedstuffs are more economical than lower RUP feeds, they may be used; however they should not be used for the added RUP.
Why is it important to weigh heifers?
Weighing heifers is increasingly important when precision feeding dairy heifers since an inappropriate level of diet restriction can lead to rapid gains and fat heifers or gains lower than desired. Electronic scales can be placed in alleys or some other easy to handle location to make heifer weighing less of a chore.
How old should heifers be to be housed?
Typically, beyond 4 months of age, heifers should be housed with other heifers as close to the same age as possible and always in groups with less than 200 pounds (90 kg) of weight variation within the group. Often this means having groups with 2 to 4 months of age variation at the most. Post breeding, this number can be increased to 300 pounds (136 kg) weight spread between animals within a group.
What is precision feeding for dairy heifers?
Precision feeding dairy heifers is based on meeting energy requirements through a producer-imposed restriction--not by gut fill limiting DMI. Since gut fill and ADG potential will not be maximized, heifers will readily consume edible bedding, which will reverse many of the advantages obtained by precision feeding.
What are the factors that affect heifer feed efficiency?
There are several factors that can greatly impact feed efficiency in the dairy heifer, such as genetics, forage quality (digestibility), growth rate or stage of growth, body condition or gain in body composition, gestation, heat or cold stress (environmental stresses), and exercise level. Several of the factors affecting feed efficiency are ...
How long do heifers eat slug feed?
They tend to eat all of their feed in the first few hours after delivery and may have an empty bunk for up to 20 hours a day.
How old do heifers need to be to breed?
Regardless of the dairy’s methods, heifers should be ready to breed at 12 to 14 months old. Large-breed heifers, like Holsteins, should weigh 350 to 400 kilograms (770 to 880 pounds) at breeding, while smaller breeds should be between 225 and 260 kilograms (495 to 570 pounds) at breeding. To accomplish this, aim for an overall 900-gram (2-pound) ...
How long do calves need to wean?
Calves weaned over a period of a week or less struggle to eat enough solid feed to compensate for the loss in milk, which results in a growth slump. However, by weaning less abruptly over a two-week period, calves are encouraged to eat solid feed earlier in life and thus maintain growth. advertisement.
How big should forage be for calves?
Forage particle size should be about 1 inch in length, and it must be well mixed to limit sorting. When feeding calves at this stage, it is important to feed and push food up regularly to limit sorting and encourage calves to eat several meals a day, DeVries said.
How to keep calfs growing after weaning?
The key here is to maximize that growth, particularly through feeding adequate levels of milk, while setting the calf up to maintain that growth during and after weaning. To do this, consider the method of reducing milk intake, weaning timing, feed type, water and housing management.
How old should a calf be to feed slugs?
Feeding calves from 4 to 6 months old.
When do calfs start eating solid food?
DeVries said when calves are fed adequate levels of milk (to maintain equal or greater than 2 pounds per day of growth from milk), they aren’t particularly interested in eating solid foods until they are 6 or 7 weeks old , so weaning age plays a major role in how well calves transition.
Heifer Buttons
These colorful buttons are a fun way to reward your students for milestones they meet. They also serve as a reminder of the various animals that Heifer gives to impoverished families around the world.
Read to Feed Bookmarks
These bookmarks will not only help your students keep track of where they are in their book, but also keep them motivated to reach their Read to Feed goals. This resource is currently available only by download. Click title for printing instructions.
NEW! Superhero Printables Kit
At Heifer, we believe kids can change the world in a big way. In fact, using your abilities to help others makes you a superhero! Download, print, color and cut to make a unique superhero costume of your own!
NEW! Read to Feed Parent Letter
Keep parents in the know with this one-page resource that you can print and send home or attach to electronic communications with parents.
NEW! Read to Feed Sample Press Release
Share your students’ Read to Feed successes with local media. Use this sample press release to get started!
Read to Feed: Coloring Pages
Featuring 11 designs, these printable coloring pages will help your students learn more about specific Heifer animals and gifts they discover during the Read to Feed program, all while creating their own works of art.
Heifer Animal Sticker
These stickers are a colorful and fun way to reward your students for milestones they meet. They also serve as a reminder of the various animals that Heifer gives to impoverished families around the world.
How much should a heifer weigh?
The heifers should weigh 65-70 percent of mature body weight when you begin your artificial insemination program. Specifically, British cattle should weigh at least 65 percent of mature body weight, and Brahman cross cattle should weigh at least 70 percent of mature body weight.
What is the best body condition score for a first calf heifer?
It is best to have your first-calf heifers in a body condition score of 6 at calving. At least, have them in a body condition score of 5 at calving and moving on an upward plane of nutrition as you move into the breeding season. Why is body condition so important to monitor at calving and through the breeding season?
Why do calves yo-yo on creep feed?
With creep feed, calves hit the feed bunk hard up front and then don’t come back the next day…their intake is “yo-yoing”. Because there is insufficient roughage in the creep ration, the calves experience acidosis and don’t feel like eating again until their rumen pH increases.
When is the best time to calve forage?
Usually spring and early summer provide the best forage situation. However, fall-calving can be used successfully if high-quality, cool-season pastures (rye, oats, wheat, etc.) are available for grazing. Always set yourself up to get the most out of your greatest resource, that being your forage base.
Do heifers need forage?
Sometimes, even when forage conditions are their best, nutrient requirements of heifers may not be met with that forage base. In these cases, supplemental nutrition is critical to a timely, successful breed back. However, the supplementation strategy you use should optimize your forage use.
Do heifers pick up nutritional slack?
While the dam (mother) of the heifer calf picks up much of the nutritional “slack” before weaning, nutritional management from the time of weaning through first breed up is entirely dependent on the producer’s competence as a manager.
